Ben Urich
Encyclopedia
Ben Urich is a Marvel Comics
character
, usually appearing in comic book
s featuring Daredevil
and Spider-Man
. Created by Roger McKenzie
and Gene Colan
, he first appeared in Daredevil #153 (July 1978).
Urich is a chain-smoking, tough-as-nails investigative journalist
for the New York
newspaper
The Daily Bugle. Urich deduced the secret identity of Daredevil and has used him as a source of information and vice versa. To a lesser extent, he has a similar relationship with Spider-Man, whose alter ego
Peter Parker was a photographer for the Bugle who occasionally accompanied Urich on assignments. Urich has used these connections to expose supervillain
s posing as businessmen, including the Kingpin
and Green Goblin
.
.
Urich plays a vital behind-the-scenes role in the Punisher
limited series Circle of Blood (drawn by Mike Zeck
). When a younger, less experienced Punisher mistakenly believes his quest of killing the Kingpin is over, he leaves a message for Urich. The resulting story results in the murders of several mafia men and the deaths of many innocent people, teaching the entire community how vital Kingpin unfortunately is.
Later, Urich was also responsible for outing Norman Osborn as the Green Goblin
in a book titled Legacy Of Evil, although after Osborn's presumed death. During the course of research for the book, Ben helped Spider-Man and the Molten Man
save Liz Allan's son from kidnappers who resembled the Green Goblin. His research helped the trio go through the Goblin's history and eventually discover what had really gone on. When Norman returned from the dead (or rather, Europe) he was able to discredit Urich and the book, going through great effort to clear his name.
During the period where Daredevil's identity was exposed in print, Ben refused to confirm it to J. Jonah Jameson
on the principle of protecting his sources and his status at work suffered for it. However, Jameson was able to move beyond that argument when he assigned Ben to the new supplement, The Pulse
. During this assignment he reveals to Peter Parker that he knows his identity as Spider-Man. It is also around this time that Matt Murdock sets up a meeting with Ben to privately announce that he is ending their professional relationship to avoid for anyone else to discover this connection and using Ben to get to Murdock.
Ben Urich turned out to be right when he originally exposed the Green Goblin, as Daily Bugle
research would show, and conclusively when the Green Goblin was publicly unmasked by Luke Cage
and sent to jail. Plans for a re-release of Legacy of Evil were discussed at that point; however, nothing further has yet been mentioned in any subsequent story arc of any title. Although the Green Goblin is currently at large again, he can no longer walk around free as he was before.
Later, Ben was approached by the Kingpin
to act as journalist covering the Kingpin brokering a deal with the FBI for release and reinstatement of his wealth, in exchange for proof that Daredevil is in fact Matt Murdock. To Ben's horror, he was the one that was forced to lead the FBI to Daredevil's location. Matt Murdock was recovering at the Night Nurse
's clinic, of which Ben Urich knew the location (he had written an article on her), and he was forced to give that information to the FBI, thanks to the manipulation of the Kingpin.
, Ben is one of the main characters in Civil War: Front Line
, covering Iron Man
's side as an embedded journalist
on behalf of the Bugle. However, his neutrality is called into question after a confrontation with the Green Goblin, who was supposed to be in prison at the time but had been secretly released as part of one of Iron Man's plans. After insisting to J. Jonah Jameson
that it was him, Ben is fired.
In Civil War: Front Line
#4, Ben reveals to his friend Sally Floyd
, that seeing the Silver Surfer
during the alien's first visit to earth causes him to realize that mankind is not alone in the universe. This drove him into alcoholism for about a year.
In the end of Civil War: Front Lines, Ben leaves the Daily Bugle, with Jameson's blessing and understanding, and forms the online newspaper Frontlines.com with Sally Floyd
. They later form the print newspaper Front Line.
, Ben and Sally, in their capacity as the new editorial staff of Front Line, are two of the few reporters who cover the alien invasion in close proximity. During the course of those events, Sally Floyd learns that Daily Bugle
editor Jonah Jameson
was the mysterious financial backer of the publication, a fact which they agreed to hide from Urich, lest it kill his spirit.
Ben Urich tries to uncover the identity of the Red Hulk. Red Hulk appears before Urich and threatens to destroy those he works with if the story ever sees print.
, though few are aware a human-hunting Skrull with a large body count hides within. The Skrull perishes via human trickery and Ben and one of the Stark Tower survivors wander the city. The duo witness the climatic battle against the Skrulls in Central Park
.
He finds out after the invasion ends, that his wife has died, and hits both an incredible depression and writer's block. After taking some time off, and seeing the city begin to recover, starts to recover himself. However, he then gets word of Norman Osborn's rise to power, and confronts him at the press conference announcing the control of the Thunderbolts Initiative over SHIELD and the Avengers, and confronts Obsorn on his past, only to get brushed off by Osborn, and the crowd around cheering for Osborn. This ultimately breaks Urich's writers block, prompting him to write his return article: "Dark Reign
: Norman Osborn Takes Control".
of the Warriors Three
, who was involved in the disaster. The trio travels to Oklahoma, intent on covering Osborn's Siege of Asgard
. All three end up separating and encountering each other again and again, due to Osborn's attacks on Asgard. Ben is almost eaten by the current version of Venom during a press junket near the battle itself. Volstagg saves Ben and Bill from the explosive effects of the HAMMER helicarrier crashing down. All three work to save and evacuate Asgardians with Ben leading the effort. Ben sees the heroes defeat the menace of the Sentry's alter-ego the Void. When Norman Osbord tries to escape, Volstagg captures him with a knock-out blow. Ben and Bill return to New York as colleagues while Volstagg works at Soldier's Field to rebuild.
storyline, Ben is forced by gang members to write about Bullseye's funeral. He manages to leave his notebook in Essex County Morgue. Daredevil finds it and leads a rescue mission. The funeral service is interrupted by Daredevil and the Hand, as a massive brawl breaks out, almost killing Ben.
to write what the people in charge want.
, is active in this reality, Ben is not shown. However, Felicity Hardy is seen reading a book entitled His Name was Spider-Man, written by Ben.
continuity, Ben Urich is a somewhat younger top reporter at the Daily Bugle who works with Peter Parker. Parker, as Spider-Man, sometimes feeds him information. He wrote a series of articles that took down Kingpin and received a book deal because of the project. He submitted incriminating evidence on the Kingpin to court (given to him by Peter Parker), and Kingpin had to leave the country. He was attacked by a vampire in Ultimate Spider-Man #95; as of Issue #96, however, Ultimate Morbius appears to have cured his potential vampirism.
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, usually appearing in comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s featuring Daredevil
Daredevil (Marvel Comics)
Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
and Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
. Created by Roger McKenzie
Roger McKenzie (comics)
Roger McKenzie is an American comic book writer best known for his work on Daredevil with Frank Miller.McKenzie and Miller's first collaboration was on a two-page story entitled "Slowly, painfully, you dig your way from the cold, choking debris..." published in DC Comics' Weird War Tales #68...
and Gene Colan
Gene Colan
Eugene Jules "Gene" Colan was an American comic book artist best known for his work for Marvel Comics, where his signature titles include the superhero series, Daredevil, the cult-hit satiric series Howard the Duck, and The Tomb of Dracula, considered one of comics' classic horror series...
, he first appeared in Daredevil #153 (July 1978).
Urich is a chain-smoking, tough-as-nails investigative journalist
Investigative journalism
Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, often involving crime, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing. An investigative journalist may spend months or years researching and preparing a report. Investigative journalism...
for the New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
The Daily Bugle. Urich deduced the secret identity of Daredevil and has used him as a source of information and vice versa. To a lesser extent, he has a similar relationship with Spider-Man, whose alter ego
Alter ego
An alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...
Peter Parker was a photographer for the Bugle who occasionally accompanied Urich on assignments. Urich has used these connections to expose supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
s posing as businessmen, including the Kingpin
Kingpin (comics)
The Kingpin is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . Kingpin is one of the most feared and powerful crime lords in the Marvel Universe. The character is a major adversary of Daredevil, the Punisher, and Spider-Man...
and Green Goblin
Green Goblin
The Green Goblin is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 ....
.
Fictional character biography
Urich first appeared in Daredevil stories, where he investigated Wilson Fisk, a businessman who was secretly the Kingpin, the head of the New York mafiaMafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
.
Urich plays a vital behind-the-scenes role in the Punisher
Punisher
The Punisher is a fictional character, an anti-hero appearing in comic books based in the . Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr., and Ross Andru, the character made its first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 .The Punisher is a vigilante who employs murder,...
limited series Circle of Blood (drawn by Mike Zeck
Mike Zeck
Mike Zeck is an American comic book illustrator.-Biography:Zeck was born in Greenville, Pennsylvania to Michael and Kathryn Jean Zeck...
). When a younger, less experienced Punisher mistakenly believes his quest of killing the Kingpin is over, he leaves a message for Urich. The resulting story results in the murders of several mafia men and the deaths of many innocent people, teaching the entire community how vital Kingpin unfortunately is.
Later, Urich was also responsible for outing Norman Osborn as the Green Goblin
Green Goblin
The Green Goblin is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 ....
in a book titled Legacy Of Evil, although after Osborn's presumed death. During the course of research for the book, Ben helped Spider-Man and the Molten Man
Molten Man
Molten Man is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Universe. The character was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #28 .-Fictional character biography:...
save Liz Allan's son from kidnappers who resembled the Green Goblin. His research helped the trio go through the Goblin's history and eventually discover what had really gone on. When Norman returned from the dead (or rather, Europe) he was able to discredit Urich and the book, going through great effort to clear his name.
During the period where Daredevil's identity was exposed in print, Ben refused to confirm it to J. Jonah Jameson
J. Jonah Jameson
John Jonah Jameson Junior is a supporting character of Spider-Man in the .Jameson is usually the publisher or editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle, a fictional New York newspaper and now serves as the mayor of New York City...
on the principle of protecting his sources and his status at work suffered for it. However, Jameson was able to move beyond that argument when he assigned Ben to the new supplement, The Pulse
The Pulse (comics)
The Pulse is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics, written by Brian Michael Bendis, about the people who work on "The Pulse", a weekly section in the fictional Daily Bugle newspaper, focusing on superheroes....
. During this assignment he reveals to Peter Parker that he knows his identity as Spider-Man. It is also around this time that Matt Murdock sets up a meeting with Ben to privately announce that he is ending their professional relationship to avoid for anyone else to discover this connection and using Ben to get to Murdock.
Ben Urich turned out to be right when he originally exposed the Green Goblin, as Daily Bugle
Daily Bugle
The Daily Bugle is a fictional New York City newspaper that is a regular fixture in the Marvel Universe, most prominently in Spider-Man comic titles and their derivative media...
research would show, and conclusively when the Green Goblin was publicly unmasked by Luke Cage
Luke Cage
Luke Cage is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist John Romita, Sr., he first appeared in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1...
and sent to jail. Plans for a re-release of Legacy of Evil were discussed at that point; however, nothing further has yet been mentioned in any subsequent story arc of any title. Although the Green Goblin is currently at large again, he can no longer walk around free as he was before.
Later, Ben was approached by the Kingpin
Kingpin (comics)
The Kingpin is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . Kingpin is one of the most feared and powerful crime lords in the Marvel Universe. The character is a major adversary of Daredevil, the Punisher, and Spider-Man...
to act as journalist covering the Kingpin brokering a deal with the FBI for release and reinstatement of his wealth, in exchange for proof that Daredevil is in fact Matt Murdock. To Ben's horror, he was the one that was forced to lead the FBI to Daredevil's location. Matt Murdock was recovering at the Night Nurse
Night Nurse (comics)
Night Nurse is the name of a Marvel Comics comic-book series published in the early 1970s, as well the nom de guerre of a fictional character, Linda Carter, known for her willingness to help injured superheroes...
's clinic, of which Ben Urich knew the location (he had written an article on her), and he was forced to give that information to the FBI, thanks to the manipulation of the Kingpin.
Civil War
During Marvel's summer crossover event Civil WarCivil War (comics)
Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
, Ben is one of the main characters in Civil War: Front Line
Civil War: Front Line
Civil War: Front Line is an 11-issue, limited series tie-in to Marvel Comics's Civil War event which started in August 2006.Part of the story is told from the perspective of two reporters embedded in the opposite camps of the war...
, covering Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
's side as an embedded journalist
Embedded journalist
Embedded journalism refers to news reporters being attached to military units involved in armed conflicts. While the term could be applied to many historical interactions between journalists and military personnel, it first came to be used in the media coverage of the 2003 invasion of Iraq...
on behalf of the Bugle. However, his neutrality is called into question after a confrontation with the Green Goblin, who was supposed to be in prison at the time but had been secretly released as part of one of Iron Man's plans. After insisting to J. Jonah Jameson
J. Jonah Jameson
John Jonah Jameson Junior is a supporting character of Spider-Man in the .Jameson is usually the publisher or editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle, a fictional New York newspaper and now serves as the mayor of New York City...
that it was him, Ben is fired.
In Civil War: Front Line
Civil War: Front Line
Civil War: Front Line is an 11-issue, limited series tie-in to Marvel Comics's Civil War event which started in August 2006.Part of the story is told from the perspective of two reporters embedded in the opposite camps of the war...
#4, Ben reveals to his friend Sally Floyd
Sally Floyd
Sally Floyd is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Generation M #1 Sally Floyd is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Generation M #1 Sally Floyd is a...
, that seeing the Silver Surfer
Silver Surfer
The Silver Surfer is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue arc that fans call "The Galactus Trilogy"....
during the alien's first visit to earth causes him to realize that mankind is not alone in the universe. This drove him into alcoholism for about a year.
In the end of Civil War: Front Lines, Ben leaves the Daily Bugle, with Jameson's blessing and understanding, and forms the online newspaper Frontlines.com with Sally Floyd
Sally Floyd
Sally Floyd is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Generation M #1 Sally Floyd is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Generation M #1 Sally Floyd is a...
. They later form the print newspaper Front Line.
World War Hulk
During Marvel's next crossover event World War HulkWorld War Hulk
"World War Hulk" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self titled limited series and various other titles published by Marvel Comics in 2007, featuring the Hulk....
, Ben and Sally, in their capacity as the new editorial staff of Front Line, are two of the few reporters who cover the alien invasion in close proximity. During the course of those events, Sally Floyd learns that Daily Bugle
Daily Bugle
The Daily Bugle is a fictional New York City newspaper that is a regular fixture in the Marvel Universe, most prominently in Spider-Man comic titles and their derivative media...
editor Jonah Jameson
J. Jonah Jameson
John Jonah Jameson Junior is a supporting character of Spider-Man in the .Jameson is usually the publisher or editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle, a fictional New York newspaper and now serves as the mayor of New York City...
was the mysterious financial backer of the publication, a fact which they agreed to hide from Urich, lest it kill his spirit.
Ben Urich tries to uncover the identity of the Red Hulk. Red Hulk appears before Urich and threatens to destroy those he works with if the story ever sees print.
Secret Invasion
During the invasion, Ben was covering a story in a local hospital, only to be trapped inside during the Skrull attacks. He survives, though a new-found nurse friend and all the others inside are killed by rampaging Skrulls. Ben and many other human refugees make their way to Stark TowerStark Tower
The Stark Tower Complex is a fictional high-rise building complex which appears in publications by Marvel Comics. Located in Manhattan, New York City, the complex is named after its owner Tony Stark who is the alter ego of the superhero Iron Man. The structure is composed of a 93-story Main Tower...
, though few are aware a human-hunting Skrull with a large body count hides within. The Skrull perishes via human trickery and Ben and one of the Stark Tower survivors wander the city. The duo witness the climatic battle against the Skrulls in Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
.
He finds out after the invasion ends, that his wife has died, and hits both an incredible depression and writer's block. After taking some time off, and seeing the city begin to recover, starts to recover himself. However, he then gets word of Norman Osborn's rise to power, and confronts him at the press conference announcing the control of the Thunderbolts Initiative over SHIELD and the Avengers, and confronts Obsorn on his past, only to get brushed off by Osborn, and the crowd around cheering for Osborn. This ultimately breaks Urich's writers block, prompting him to write his return article: "Dark Reign
Dark Reign (comics)
"Dark Reign" is a 2008–2009 crossover comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics. It deals with the aftermath of the "Secret Invasion" storyline, which led to a shift of power in the Marvel Universe toward Norman Osborn. The title "Dark Reign" refers to Osborn's rise to national power and the...
: Norman Osborn Takes Control".
Siege
Following a superpowered disaster in Chicago, Ben teams up with his old friend Bill Stern a disgraced former news reporter who rescues him from police custody. By coincidence they find VolstaggVolstagg
Volstagg is a fictional character, a charter member of the Warriors Three, a trio of Asgardian adventurers and supporting cast of Thor in the . He is not taken from mythology but an original creation, modeled on Shakespeare's Falstaff in character and name....
of the Warriors Three
Warriors Three
The Warriors Three are a group of fictional characters who served as supporting cast members in Thor, published by Marvel Comics. The Warriors Three is made up of the Asgardians Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg...
, who was involved in the disaster. The trio travels to Oklahoma, intent on covering Osborn's Siege of Asgard
Siege (comics)
Siege is a fictional character, owned by Marvel Comics, who exists in the Marvel Universe.-Creative origins:John Kelly was initially created by Dwayne McDuffie and Gregory Wright as a pseudo-preview of their then-upcoming relaunch of Deathlok as well as to provide existing in-continuity backstory...
. All three end up separating and encountering each other again and again, due to Osborn's attacks on Asgard. Ben is almost eaten by the current version of Venom during a press junket near the battle itself. Volstagg saves Ben and Bill from the explosive effects of the HAMMER helicarrier crashing down. All three work to save and evacuate Asgardians with Ben leading the effort. Ben sees the heroes defeat the menace of the Sentry's alter-ego the Void. When Norman Osbord tries to escape, Volstagg captures him with a knock-out blow. Ben and Bill return to New York as colleagues while Volstagg works at Soldier's Field to rebuild.
Shadowland
In ShadowlandShadowland (comics)
"Shadowland" is a 2010 Marvel Comics storyline centering around Daredevil and other "street level" superheroes in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:The storyline included a number of tie-in limited series and one shots...
storyline, Ben is forced by gang members to write about Bullseye's funeral. He manages to leave his notebook in Essex County Morgue. Daredevil finds it and leads a rescue mission. The funeral service is interrupted by Daredevil and the Hand, as a massive brawl breaks out, almost killing Ben.
House Of M
The Daily Bugle is a propaganda machine for the ruling mutant class. Urich is seen encouraging fellow reporter Kat FarrellKat Farrell
Kat Farrell is a fictional character existing in Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe, usually appearing in comic books featuring Avengers-related characters in New York City.-Fictional character biography:She is a top reporter for the Daily Bugle...
to write what the people in charge want.
Maximum Carnage
Ben Urich is seen in the beginning of the issue Spider-Man #36 (Maximum Carnage part 8 of 14) before Spider-Man close the door of the office of Jonah J. Jameson with Venom, Firestar, Cloak and Black Cat.MC2
Although Ben's nephew, Phil UrichPhil Urich
Philip Benjamin "Phil" Urich is a Marvel Comics character whose first appearance was in Web of Spider-Man #125. He once was the second person to use the Green Goblin identity as a superhero instead of a supervillain...
, is active in this reality, Ben is not shown. However, Felicity Hardy is seen reading a book entitled His Name was Spider-Man, written by Ben.
Marvel Noir
The story is set in 1933. Urich is a substance abusing reporter who is blackmailing Norman Osborn for money to feed his drug habit. He takes under his wing the social activist Peter Parker, whose youthful idealism contrasts his jaded cynicism.Ultimate Ben Urich
In Ultimate MarvelUltimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and updated versions of the company's superhero characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. The imprint was launched in 2000 with the publication of the series...
continuity, Ben Urich is a somewhat younger top reporter at the Daily Bugle who works with Peter Parker. Parker, as Spider-Man, sometimes feeds him information. He wrote a series of articles that took down Kingpin and received a book deal because of the project. He submitted incriminating evidence on the Kingpin to court (given to him by Peter Parker), and Kingpin had to leave the country. He was attacked by a vampire in Ultimate Spider-Man #95; as of Issue #96, however, Ultimate Morbius appears to have cured his potential vampirism.
Films
- Ben Urich appeared in the 2003 Daredevil feature filmDaredevil (film)Daredevil is a 2003 American superhero film written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson. Based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, the film stars Ben Affleck as Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer who fights for justice in the courtroom and out of the courtroom as the masked vigilante Daredevil...
, played by Joe PantolianoJoe PantolianoJoseph Peter "Joe" Pantoliano is an American film and television actor. He played the character of Ralph Cifaretto on The Sopranos, Bob Keane in La Bamba, Cypher in The Matrix, Teddy in Memento, Francis Fratelli in The Goonies, Guido "the Killer Pimp" in Risky Business, and Jennifer Tilly's...
. In the film he works for the New York PostNew York PostThe New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
, as the rights to the Bugle were tied to the Spider-ManSpider-Man (film)Spider-Man is a 2002 American superhero film, the first in the Spider-Man film series based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. It was directed by Sam Raimi and written by David Koepp...
films. He discovers Daredevil's secret identity during his investigations (Urich is one of the few people who believe Daredevil to be anything other than an urban myth), but, when faced with the possibility of printing the story, he decides not to publish it, realizing that Daredevil does a great deal of good in the city.
Novels
- The novel The IntuitionistThe IntuitionistThe Intuitionist is a 1999 novel by Colson Whitehead. It falls broadly into speculative fiction.The Intuitionist takes place in a city full of skyscrapers and other buildings requiring vertical transportation in the form of elevators. The time, never identified explicitly, is one when black people...
by Colson WhiteheadColson WhiteheadColson Whitehead is a New York-based novelist. He is best known as the author of the 2001 novel John Henry Days. In 2002, he received a MacArthur Fellowship.-Early life:...
included an investigative reporter named Ben Urich whose fingers were broken by thugs, just as The Kingpin threatened during the "Born AgainDaredevil: Born Again"Born Again" is a Daredevil story arc written by Frank Miller, drawn by David Mazzucchelli and published by Marvel Comics. The story arc originally appears in Daredevil #227-#233....
" storyline.
Video games
- Ben appears as a supporting character in Spider-Man: Battle for New YorkSpider-Man: Battle for New YorkSpider-Man: Battle for New York is a Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS game loosely based within the Ultimate Spider-Man universe. It features Spider-Man and the Green Goblin as the main characters. The Green Goblin is a playable character, like Venom is in another Spider-Man game, Ultimate Spider-Man...
, voiced by Robin Atkin DownesRobin Atkin DownesBorn in London, England, Robin Atkin Downes is an English actor who is one of the most prolific voice-over actors in Los Angeles. He is well known for his work in film, television and voice acting...
.